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In the Siskel and Ebert era, two thumbs up didn’t just mean that a movie was good. It also meant the movie was worth seeing. Times have changed, and today, movie critics—professional and self-proclaimed—are using their thumbs in other ways to influence moviegoing decisions.

Sports fans love to follow their favorite games on TV, and their Twitter conversations speak volumes about how much they share their excitement with others. But we can see more than just how many Tweets they’re sending. We can now follow engagement and compare it with engagement levels for other program types.

From Beck previewing his Morning Phase album for in-flight air travelers to hear via Gogo Inflight Internet before its formal release date to Bruce Springsteen streaming his recent Higher Hopes album more than a week before its release as a promotion for the TV show The Good Wife, there’s more to release dates than a specific date.

African-American consumers are more relevant than ever in today’s ever-shifting entertainment market—and their choices are affecting the whole entertainment industry. To capture this influential demographic’s attention, marketers must understand African Americans’ specific tastes and habits to provide content that best suits their interests and needs.

While the book industry is no stranger to change, the written word remains popular. In 2013, physical book sales stayed strong, with print book consumption only declining slightly from the year before. And while e-book growth slowed and the market has now matured, the innovation is far from over.

2013 was a solid year for the home entertainment industry, as consumer spending across all home entertainment platforms increased by nearly 1 percent—the second straight year of growth in consumer spending on home entertainment.

Love is in the air and in the entertainment aisle. So as we celebrate Valentine’s Day, let’s look at how romance influences music, books and home entertainment—as well as how consumers respond and engage with it—even on days other than Feb 14.

Regardless of whether you rooted for the Seahawks or the Broncos, halftime probably offered something for both sides. The Internet is buzzing about Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers and their performances have had an effect on music sales and music streaming.

In the U.S. and around the world, fans’ passion for sports continues to grow in 2013. And with the addition of Nielsen Audio and Scarborough to Nielsen’s portfolio last year, our “FANALYTICS” platform—what we refer to as the collective intelligence and insights around sports consumers—continues to evolve, helping our clients gain a deeper understanding of the sports fan.

From a gripping show-starter by music’s power-couple Beyoncé and Jay Z, to the historic on-screen wedding (presided over by Queen Latifah and Madonna), this year’s 56th GRAMMY Awards found new ways to surprise, electrify and get its audience talking. In the few hours of performances and awards, music devotees were exposed to some of the best in the industry. But did the most consumed artists end up with the awards?

The GRAMMY Awards are the music industry’s biggest night—and last year, over 28 million viewers in the U.S. tuned into the 55th show. The show exposes a huge concentration of engaged listeners to some of the newest leaders in music—and can have a enormous impact on sales.

From toe-tapping hits to head-bobbing beats, music speaks to people’s souls. But ever-evolving technologies are changing music consumption—and in 2013, those entertainers who reimagined music within new and old formats reaped some of the biggest benefits.

“Want to see a movie?” The answer will differ based on personal preference. And according to Nielsen’s State of the LGBT Moviegoer report, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) moviegoers make different choices at the box-office than their heterosexual counterparts.